At a time when the whole construction industry is looking to be leaner, meaner and greener – the widespread adoption of BIM is surely imminent.
In the traditionally conservative construction industry, many believe a comprehensive transformation is required that will see BIM not just adopted by companies but deeply ingrained into their way of working.
Talk Construction, a major new conference taking place in London on November 25-26, will see key players fromGovernment and industry look at how digital technologies such as BIM can help to improve productivity and efficiencies and make the industry more competitive to create stability and sustainability.
For many, BIM will play a crucial role in how the industry changes over the next decade and beyond. According to a survey by National Building Specification, 71% of construction professionals agree that BIM is the ‘future of project information’.So the BIM message is certainly breaking through, but there is still a long way to go.
Tony Ryan, CEO at Asite – Headline Sponsors of Talk Construction, said: “BIM as a process has the potential to be a major game-changer for the AECO industry, helping to bring together all the elements of asset information from concept to completion and beyond and to streamline processes that have long been run disparately. “
“However, we must remember that BIM as a technology is only a tool and that in order to be successful at BIM we need to get the people and processes right to enable true collaborative working.”
Widespread adoption hasn’t been helped by the slow economic recovery and construction companies having to cut costs. The initial investment may put off some businesses but the industry as a whole must be more visionary and consider thelong-term consequences. In the fast-moving world of digital technologies, it could be a case of invest now or get left behind.
“Collaboration is definitely overdue and coming together at events like Talk Construction can help the industry forge a way ahead collaboratively,” added Tony, whose company Asite helps manufacturers and suppliers get their products into the cloud and BIM-ready.
The construction industry is certain to play a major role in generating and driving global economic recovery and growth, and so a clear direction is a prerequisite. Stephen Ratcliffe, Director of the UK Contractors Group, said: “The conference is an opportunity for the industry to talk and agree on the priority issues. Where is the industry going to be next year?”
Set to be a landmark event for the industry, Talk Construction will include speaker slots from many industry leaders including David Philp, Head of BIM at Mace Group, who will discuss the benefits and implications of Digital Technologies on the morning of Monday 25 November.
